Machine for drawing flax and other long-staple fibers to form slivers or yarn.



J. V. EVES. MACHINE FOR DRAWING FLAX AND OTHER LONG STAPLE FIBERS TO FORM SLIVERS 0R. YARN. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, 1912- 1,132,316. Patented Mar.16,1915.

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J. v. EVES.

MACHINE FOR DRAWING FLAX AND OTHER LONG STAPLE FIBERS TO FORM SLIVERS 0R YARN.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, 1912- 5 SHEETS*SHEET 2.

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THE NORRIS PETERS 00., PHOTELLITHOH \VASHINGTON, D. C.

J. V. EVES. MACHINE FOR DRAWING FLAX AND OTHER LONG STAPLE FIBERS TO FORM SLIVERS OR YARN.

APPLIUATIOH FILED NOV. 23, 1912, 7 1,132,316, Patented Mar.16,1915.

5 SHEETSSHEET 3.

Kim 7 7 IE NORRIS PETERS 60.. F'HOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON D. c

J. V. EVES. MACHINE FOB. DRAWING FLAX AND OTHER LONG STAPLE FIBERS TO FORM SLIVERS OR YARN.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23,1912.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES.

THE NORRIS PETERS C01. PHOTO'LITHOH WASHINGIUN. u. k

(I. V. EVES. MACHINE you DRAWING FLAX AND OTHER LONG STAPLE FIBERS TO FORM smvms OR YARN.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, 1912- 1 132,31, Patented Mar. 16, 19151 5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

WITNESSES. BNVENTOR.

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UNITED STATES 1 FFICE.

JOSHUA VALENTINE EVES, F BELFAST, IRELAND.

MACHINE FOR DRAWING FLAX AND OTHER LONG-STAPLE FIBERS TO FORM SLIVERS OR YARN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

Application filed November 23, 1912. Serial No. 733,146.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JosHUA VALENTINE 'Evns, a British subject, residing at Belfast,

county Antrim, Ireland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Drawing Flax and other Long- Staple Fibers to Form Slivers or Yarn, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for drawing flax, wool and other long staple fibers for forming slivers or yarn, and is designed to produce a sliver of greater uniformity.

In such machines commonly known as gill frames, the fibers are fed into retaining rollers and carried by a series of moving fallers to the drawing rollers, the drawing rollers rotating at a constant speed irrespective of any variation in the Weight or thickness of the material fed thereto.

The invention consists essentially in automatically changing the speed of the drawing rollers relatively to that of the retaining rollers consequent to a variation in the separation or displacement of the latter by a change of thickness of material passing be tween them and in delaying such change until the material which caused the displacement has been passed forward by the gills and fallers to or nearly to the nip of drawing rollers irrespective of the distance such rollers are from the retaining rollers, which in machinery for dealing with long fibers like flax or wool is a considerable distance. Also in connecting an indicator or indicators therewith for the purpose of showing the regularity with which the material is being fed to the machine, and in an arrangement of the levers operated by the movement of the retaining rollers to connect a multiple set of rollers with the main operating lever. Mechanism which accomplishes this change of draft at the right time may be called a delaying motion because though actuated by the retaining rollers it delays effecting any change of speed or draft of the drawing rollers till the portion of the material necessitating the change has traveled over the intervening distance.

The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1, side elevation of spread board partly in section showing the invention applied thereto. Fig. 2, front elevation of same with the drawing rollers and fallers removed. Fig. 3, front elevation of parts of same showing a relay motion to actuate the belt shifter of the cone drums and relieve the pressure on the pins and levers of the motion. Fig. 4, sectional detail of peg n and wheels M M Fig. 5, front elevation similar to Fig. 1, showing the indicating finger. Fig. 6, front elevation showing the arrangement of levers to a double sliver spread board. Fig. 7, side elevation of same. Fig. 8, front elevation showing the arrangement of levers for a four sliver spread board. Fig. 9, side elevation of same.

The machine is constructed in the ordinary way with retaining rollers A and B, drawing rollers A and B and fallers or gill bars 13 between the two sets of rollers. Upon the journals of the top retaining or pressing roller B two balance levers C and Care mounted with a fulcrum at 6 against the knife edge on a transverse bar 0. The balance levers C C are at their other ends connected or linked by weight wires or rods D D to a transverse lever E pivoted at or near its center by a link F to a weight lever G pivoted on a fulcrum pin H on a bracket in. The weight lever G extends forward to the front of the machine and upon it is placed an adjustable weight 7 to give the desired amount of pressure to the top retaining roller B, and at its end it engages or is connected to a bell crank lever J pivoted on a stud 7a projecting from a bracket K. The upright member of the lever J oscillates to one side or the other as the thickness of material passing between the retaining rollers varies. To the end of the lever J a link M is pivoted to connect with the delaying motion wheel N. To the link M is connected an index finger L with an indicator plate L so that the rising and falling movement of the retaining roller B and consequently any variation in the feeding of the material can be readily observed.

At one side of the machine a large wheel N is mounted fitted around its rim with a series of loose pieces or pegs a free to slide to and fro endwise across the wheel and above the wheelis mounted a shoe or oscillating device M with two contact pads m m which as the delaying wheel N rotates engages the pegs n and moves them backward and forward according to the position of the contact pads m m. The oscillating shoe l is connected by the link M with the bell crank lever J andthrough it is rocked at each rise and fall of the top retaining roller B thereby moving the pegs n to one side or other of the delaying wheel N. Below the delaying wheel N a somewhat similar rocking shoe 0 is mounted with which the pegs n in succession engage as the wheel rotates giving a corresponding'rocking motion thereto at a predetermined period of timev after the pegs n have been set by the shoe h The mo- 7 tionof the lower rocking shoe 0 is trans 'mitted throughthe arm 0, link or rod 0 lever link 0" and levers Oand to the belt fork or belt shifter O and thereby alters or adjusts the position of the driving belt on the cone pulleys P and P. The pegs it may be retained in position in the wheel N by any suitable meansyatpresent it is preferred to make the pegs with annular' v-shaped collars or grooves at one end and as the wheel N rotates these engage two locking wheels M M before they encounter the shoe 0 to prevent any side movement or slipping of the pegs n. The wheels l and M are carried on studs on the ends of weight levers m m and on their periphery are formed with annular grooves to engage. the collars on the pegs n and hold or look them in position and the pegs after being thus locked impart a side motion to the bottom rocking'shoe O.

The drawing rollerA is driven through a differential gear box P of any suitable 7 form and on the shaft of the driven cone pulley P is a pinion P gearing into the wheel P ofthe differential gear P and accordingly the speed of the drawing rollerv A is'accelerated or retarded according to the speed at which the cone P is driven. And as the rise and fall of the top retaining roller B adjusts and governs the position of the belt on the cone pulleys and the from the 'shoe O through arm 0 link 0 and lever 0 Connected to'thelever O is areciprocat vlevers a and M3.

ing lever B which oscillates a lever T when the shoe 0 is operated. The lever T is formed with projections 25 and t which normally hold two pivoted pawls u u out of engagement with thetwo racks V V" the ra'cks V" and Vbeing cut with ratchet teeth in opposite directions. The pawls u an d u are kept constantly oscillating at a high speed by the eccentric U and Should the lever Tube oscillated in either direction by the shoe 0 it allows oneof the pawls u or 'u to engage one of the racks V or V and to continue pushing one tooth at a time until the shoe gets back to; normal position. The racks V and V are con- I nected to the belt shifter O 'by' the link and lever O. To'make the delaying mo tion self-contained so as to be easily put on existing machines the top and bottom' shoes M and O, delaying wheel N, weight levers m and m and wheels IVE and M are all carriedon one bracket S and can" be readily bolted to any existing machines.

Ina double sliver machine as in F igs, 6'

and 7 the levers U are preferably carried out to the back of the machine and the links D D placed in front of the rollers." The links D D of each retaining roller B are two levers E are similarly connected by 7 connected to a transverse lever E and the links to a lever E which in turn is connected by a link F to a main operating lever G which operates the bell :crank lever J as before described. To the link M which connects the lever J with the delaying mo tion I connect an index finger L provided with an index plate L.

To each pair of balance levers G I may also. connect a trans- V verse lever e by links f and to the lever e connect index fingers L withindex plate L by links 6 to show separately the movement of the retaining rollers B: The in-' *dex fingers L will serve as a guide in'the spreading of the fibers on the spread boardsv and the main index finger L will show the average of the doublings' Thus if one roller is feeding light and theotherroller is feeding heavy the main index finger L will stand at normal or zero while one Y finger L will stand at light and'the other finger L will stand at heavy.

In a four sliver machine as in Figs. 8 and 9 the levers C are preferably carried out to the back of the machine and the links D and D suspended therefrom. The links D 'D of each retaining 'rollerB are connected to a transverse lever E and each pair of levers E are similarly connected by links to a transverse lever E and the two levers E similarly connected by links to a lever E which in turn is connected by a link]? to the main operating lever G, which operates the" bell cranklever J as before de scribed. To the link M which connects the lever J with the delaying motion I connect an index finger L provided with an index plate L. To each pair of balance levers C I may also connect a transverse lever e by links f and to the lever 6 connect index fingers U, with index plates L by links 6 to show separately the movement of each pair of retaining rollers B. The index fingers L will serve as a guide in the spreading of the fibers on the spread board and the main index finger L will show the average of the doublings. Thus if one roller is feeding light and the other roller is feeding heavy the main index finger L will stand at normal or zero, while one finger L will stand at light and another finger L will stand at heavy.

In the arrangements shown in Figs. 6 and 8 it may be found necessary to positively drive the top retaining roller B. In the case shown in Fig. 6 the roller B is driven by a wheel 6 at the end of each roller driven from the ordinary gearing on the machine. In the case shown in Figs. 8 and 9 a wheel Z) is placed on the end of each roller B and a top shaft 6 is placed above the rollers with wheels 6 thereon to gear with the wheel 6 and drive each roller B.

What I claim as my invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. In an apparatus for drawing long staple fibers, the combination with relatively displaceable retaining rollers and with drawing rollers to which the material is passed from the retaining rollers, of means for varying the speed of the drawing rollers in accordance with variations in the thickness of the material passing through the retaining rollers, and means for delaying the speed variation of the drawing rollers until the particular thickness of material which has initiated such variation has moved forward to, or nearly to, the nip of the drawing rollers.

2. In an apparatus for drawing long staple fibers, the combination with retaining rollers and drawing rollers to which the material is passed from the retaining rollers, of means for varying the speed of the drawing rollers in accordance with variations in the thickness of the material passed by the. retaining rollers, and means whereby the speed variations of the drawing rollers are synchroni ed with the passage thereto of the lengths of the material which have initiated such variations.

3. In an apparatus for drawing long staple fibers, the combination with a top retaining roller which is raised and lowered in accordance with variations in the thickness of the material passed thereby, drawing rollers, gearing for operating the drawing rollers, levers which are raised and lowered by the rise and fall of the retaining roller, and a delay motion interposed between said levers and said gearing and operable through said gearing to vary the speed of rotation of the drawing rollers in accordance with variations in the thickness of the material passed by the retaining roller.

4. In apparatus for drawing fiax, wool and other long staple fibers the combination with the top retaining roller of levers which are raised and lowered by the rise and fall of the roller, drawing rollers, driving mechanism for said drawing rollers and including a speed change device, a delaying motion operatively connected to said levers and by which the movement of the roller is transmitted after a lapse of time and operative connections between said delaying motion and said change speed device.

5. In an apparatus for drawing fiax, wool and other long staple fibers including a top retaining roller and drawing rollers to which material is passed from the top retaining roller, the combination of levers which are raised and lowered by the rise and fall of the top retaining roller, a link and lever system connected thereto for transmitting such movement, a rocking shoe to which the movement is transmitted by said system, a wheel rotating within the shoe and provided adjacent its rim with loose transversely movable pegs operable by the rocking of the shoe, a second rocking shoe operable by said pegs, gearing for operating said drawing rollers, a change speed device for said gearing, and a second system of levers and links connecting the second shoe with said change speed device.

6. In an apparatus for drawing long staple fibers, the combination with relatively displaceable retaining rollers, drawing rollers, driving mechanism for the drawing rollers, and a change speed device for said driving mechanism, of means whereby the rise and fall of the upper retaining roller is effective to operate said change speed device and including a delaying motion for causing the operation of said change speed device a predetermined length of time after the rise or fall of said retaining roller, and a relaying motion interposed between said delaying motion and said change speed device.

7. In apparatus for drawing flax, wool and other long staple fibers the combination with the retaining rollers, of levers which are raised and lowered by the rise and fall of the top retaining roller, links and levers connected thereto for transmitting such movement, a rocking or oscillating shoe to which the movement is transmitted, a wheel rotating within the shoe and provided adjacent its rim with loose transversely movable pegs operable by the rocking of the shoe,

a second shoe rocked by the said pegs, a In testimony whereof I'have hereunto set strap shifter, a system of levers and links my hand in presence of two subscribing Witconnecting the second shoe with said strap nesses.

shifter, a pair of cone pulleys and a diiferen- JOSHUA VALENTINE EVES. tial driving mechanism to drive the draW- Witnesses: i .ing rollers and a relay motion interposed in EDWARD HARVEY,

said system of levers and links. SOPHIA DOUGLAS. 7

Copies ofthis patent may be obtained for five cents eaoh, by addressing the Commissioner 'of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. r 

